NASA was founded on July 29, 1958, in response to the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik. This marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration and scientific discovery.
The Eye in the Sky
In 1972, NASA launched the first of the Landsat satellites. These satellites have provided invaluable data about Earth’s surface for nearly five decades, helping us understand our planet’s environmental changes and their impacts.
Exploring the Solar System
Voyager 1, launched by NASA in 1977, reached the outer edge of our solar system in 2010. This incredible journey has provided us with unique insights into the vast universe beyond our planet.
NASA’s Earth Science Division, established in the 1980s, focuses on studying climate change, sea level rise, freshwater resources, and extreme weather events. Their research is crucial for understanding and protecting our home planet.
Protecting Our Planet
International Collaboration
Since 1998, the International Space Station has served as a symbol of international collaboration in space research. NASA has played a key role in this, working together with space agencies around the world.
Mars and Beyond
With the Mars Rover missions, NASA has been exploring the Red Planet since 2004. These missions search for signs of past life and gather data to prepare for future human missions to Mars.
NASA’s journey continues with ambitious projects like the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon and the James Webb Space Telescope set to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.